FOOD HYGIENE RESULTS 2016: The good, the bad and the ugly

A Blackpool takeaway fined £6,000 earlier this year over dirty conditions is one of five in the resort to have been handed the lowest food hygiene rating possible.

The Indian Palace on Lytham Road was inspected on February 26 and given the order to make immediate improvements or face being shut down.

The Gulshan

Owners at the eaterie said that improvements have since been made and apologised for the error.

Blackpool Magistrates fined the establishment over a series of food hygiene breaches which included not having enough soap or towels at the premises, dirt around counter edges, some dirty surfaces at the freezers and fridges a hole around a sink pipe and general uncleanliness.

Other eateries to get the zero rating were the Gulshan Takeaway on Talbot Road, the Lee Raj on Squires Gate Lane, Spiceland on Central Drive and Piknik on Whitegate Drive.

Here are all the zero star ratings in Blackpool

We would like to apologies to all our customers for not meeting the hygiene standards on what was very busy time on a Friday evening.

, said: “We would like to apologies to all our customers for not meeting the hygiene standards on what was very busy time on a Friday evening.

Gulshan Takeaway, Talbot Road

Hotel Athol, Promenade

Indian Palace, Lytham Road

Lee Raj, Squires Gate Lane

The Lee Raj

Piknik, Whitegate Drive

Spiceland, Central Drive

The ratings mean that immediate action must be taken to improve standards or the places could end up being closed down or face heavy fines.

Businesses are sent a sticker showing their rating which can be displayed in their front window to show potential customers what sort of establishment they are going to.

The figures from the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which are put together after visits by Blackpool Council inspectors, show that out of 1,765 premises in Blackpool rated, 102 were deemed below satisfactory with a rating of zero, one or two – 5.8 per cent.

Yasin Bari, from the Indian Palace, said: “We would like to apologies to all our customers for not meeting the hygiene standards on what was very busy time on a Friday evening.

“We pride ourselves on excellent service and previous history.

“The local community have always supported us, we will ensure that the standards of cleanness will always be kept in high standard.

“We have made massive improvements in recording food temperature and cleaning.

“We have been told by many locals that we are a merit to the local community.

“The inspection we had was on a Friday evening busy period time and certain things may have not met the cleaning standard, I would reassure local community that it will not happen again.”

Sohail Khan, from the Gulshan Takeaway on Talbot Road, said they had been in business for 30 years and had never had problems before.

He said: “The inspector came at 9.30pm on a Friday night and it was our busiest time. What she found was just working mess on the floor. Mess that you make when you are really busy.

“It is all cleared up when you get the chance but at the time we were really busy serving orders.

“My staff are shocked because of the amount of cleaning we do here. Two years ago we were five star and we have never had any problems with hygiene, no recurring problems and no complaints from customers. We have never had a zero before.”